Tuks still unstoppable in its Varsity Shield campaign
After four victories in a row, Tuks' rugby team is still on course to regain lost honour and qualify again for the top league in the Varsity Cup series.
Tuks made it four out of four on Friday by beating Varsity College 75-21 in the Varsity Shield Tournament at home.
This score means that Tuks are still maintaining an average of over 50 points per game in the tournament, as they have now collected 212 points in four games. In these first four games, Tuks scored 29 tries and only conceded six.
Jean-Pierre Wentzel (flyhalf) has succeeded with 17 conversions on Friday. Ethan Burger (co-captain) is Tuks top try scorer, having dotted down on four occasions. The loosehead prop has the distinction of scoring in every game he played.
This did not just happen. Last week, Tuks’ fullback, Tharquin Manuel, stated that he and his teammates are process-driven.
“Everything we do, we do for the ‘Stripes’. It is about Tuks’ name being back on the highest platform. That is the Varsity Cup. Still, we are not taking anything for granted. As it is said in Afrikaans ‘haastige hond verbrand sy mond’. We still got to win the Varsity Shield Tournament. That is why we take it one game at a time,” Manuel commented.
The aspiring teacher is one of the veterans in the Tuks team. In 2021 and 2022, he was part of the team that won the Varsity Cup. He did not get to play Varsity rugby last year due to an ankle injury.
As a fullback, Manuel tries to style how he plays to that of the Springboks Cheslin Kolbe and Willie le Roux.
“I can change my game a lot. I can either be a very physical fullback. It is one that comes on hard, or I can be a fullback who plays smart. If there is a chance to score, I will go for it. More importantly, I am a team player. I believe in creating opportunities for the players on the outside of me. I can use my pace to beat off defenders. In a nutshell, my role is to ensure the game is never predictable, ” he remarked.
Tuks currently tops the Varsity Shield log with 20 points. The Madibaz is the only other unbeaten team. They have got 19 points. Varsity College is third with 15 points.
Tuks plays the University of KwaZulu Natal on Friday 22 March in Durban. Kick-off is at 16:00.
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